


Truth or dare.

by skinnylittlered



Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, hiddlestoners
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Divorce, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Long-Term Relationship(s), Married Couple, Separations, Silence, Therapy, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 10:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5704126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinnylittlered/pseuds/skinnylittlered
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom and Lou deal with marital tension.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truth or dare.

In typical manner, Lou’s husband had exceeded all the expectations she might have had as for the possible outcomes of the situation, so, looking back to the morning when, rumpled clothing hanging off her trembling body, hair dishevelled, and makeup running freely off her tear strained cheeks, she confessed the previous night’s (and, unbeknownst to him, many more other nights’) transgressions to her, least to say, taken aback, spouse, the only wonder prominent in her memory was not, in fact, his reaction – which, in hindsight, had been not that much of a reaction at all as much as it had been his patient listening of the enumeration of the moral and sexual perversions sprung onto him before he had even the chance of serving his morning coffee, by his profusely apologetic wife – but her own curiosity and stupefaction when, two meals and many an instance of uninterruptible silences later, instead of having had thrown her out amongst ungallant screams of utter betrayal of both trust and the vows they both had consensually taken, he suggested that they, as the circumstance of their conjugal rupture was beyond his power of mending unassisted, seek professional help, which is how, not too many days later, she found herself under the impassive scrutiny of some whatever couples’ therapist, old enough to legitimate, at least in regards to temporality, the number of certificates and awards hanging on the walls of his office.

Soon enough, she wasn’t sure if to her despair or relief, it turned out that, at least for a while, the jolly old man that the doctor proved himself to be in a very short time after having made his acquaintance, became the medium of their communication – the glue that held their relationship together, if you will – as Tom would, more often than not, attribute his prolonged absences from home to an unusually tight schedule, and Lou knew for a fact that it was all just a bunch of bullshit, because, even when working on several projects back to back, all day, every day, for at least a couple of months, he would see to it that they communicate on a regular basis, none of that having happened in the many weeks transpiring from that unfortunate morning. But, then again, Lou also knew, at least in general lines, the man she married, and the man she married would, to her, again, general knowledge, much rather feign an impossible curriculum of professional activity then face a problem of such gravity as theirs was head on, not necessarily out of cowardice, despite it probably being perhaps half of the reason, but more due to – oh, fuck it, Tom Hiddleston would more likely face a venomous serpent, unequipped with any of the gear or the training required in successfully accomplishing such a task, than deal with his personal issues accordingly, that’s how the shrink came to be a part of their shitty relationship anyway. The man hadn’t had the balls to deal with the simple fact that strained their marriage, that they just aren’t all that into each other anymore, then he hadn’t had the balls to follow the obvious course of reasoning and kick out his unfaithful wife, who, in turn, hadn’t had the balls to break things off when things got unbearable and had to resort to such despicable acts as betraying her partner. Who were they kidding, five out of the ten years of their marriage had been a ridiculous charade.

Much like what is happening now, the groundbreaking idea that the good doctor had come up with, in hopes of salvaging whatever scrap of a relationship there might be.

Tom is the first to speak.

“Truth or dare.”

Lou doesn’t know which one could possibly – and in which way – be worse.

“Truth, I suppose?”

Tom doesn’t hesitate in shooting the question.

“Who is he?”

“You don’t know him.”

“That was not the question.”

“But you don’t know him!”

“Answer my damn question, Louise!”

“His name is John. His eyes are brown and his hair black. Does that ring a bell?”

And for a few seconds, the house is dead quiet.

“Didn’t think so. Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Do you hate me?”

His answer, much like his question, is prompt. God knows how many times he’s done this in his head.

“No. Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Was it just sex?”

_Don’t ask me that._

“Lou.”

“No. It’s not just sex. Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Do you still love me?”

“Not like I used to, no. Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Are you still seeing him?”

“Yes. Truth or dare.”

“Dare.”

A small smile tugging at the corner of both their mouths. Game over.

“I dare you to divorce me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s notes: I suck. That’s all I have to say on the matter.
> 
> Wrote this yesterday, didn’t proof-read it. 
> 
> Welcome to the new followers @ania-swissweet and @beautifulchocolatemelanin. You guys have a fun ride.
> 
> Thank you to everybody who is still here and, thus, supportive of my work. You have been so good to me.
> 
> Real life, on the other hand, has not.
> 
> That’s why I don’t sound all that excited anymore.
> 
> That’s also why this piece, which was intended to be smut, turned out to be angst.
> 
> I’m a bit tired, but I really want to get the writing thing back into action, because I really fucking love it. And I really fucking love you guys :3
> 
> Thanks for reading, lovelies, and you stay golden! *realises there are no sweet treats in the pantry so hands out mints instead*


End file.
